Toy airplane

ABSTRACT

A TOY AIRPLANE MADE OF HARD PAPER OR CARDBOARD HAS AN ELONGATED TUBULAR BODY WHICH IS OPEN ON BOTH ENDS THE FRONT END IS COVERED BY A CAP THROUGH WHICH A PIN EXTENDS. THE OUTER END OF THE PIN CARRIES THE USUAL PROPELLER. THE INNER END OF THE PIN HAS THE SHAPE OF A HOOK OVER WHICH EXTENDS ONE END OF A DOUBLE RUBBER BAND SERVING AS THE MOTOR. THE OPPOSITE END OF THE RUBBER BAND FITS OVER A TWO-HEADED RIVET WHICH EXTENDS THROUGH THE TUBULAR BODY ADJACENT THE TAIL. THE TUBULAR BODY HAS TWO ALIGNED SLOTS THROUGH WHICH THE WINGS EXTEND. THE REAR END OF THE TUBULAR BODY HAS ALIGNED SLOTS PERPENDICULAR TO THE WING SLOTS THROUGH WHICH THE RUDDER EXTENDS. AN ELEVATOR FITS INTO A SLIT PROVIDED IN THE RUDDER AND IS SUPPORTED BY A PLALSTIC CLIP TO PREVENT IT FROM WOBBLING, WHEELS ARE CARRIED BY A SUPPORTER MEMBER HAVING ANGULAR PORTIONS EXTENDING OVER THE TOP SURFACES OF THE WINGS TO PREVENT THE WHEELS FROM SHIFTING.

1971 H. GOODMAN 3,616,567

TOY AIRPLANE Filed Aug. 11, 1969 I N VENTOR.

Y HAROLD GOOD MAN United States Patent 3,616,567 TOY AIRPLANE Harold Goodman, Newark, N.J., assiguor to Goodtone Manufacturing Co., Middletowu, NJ. Filed Aug. 11, 1969, Ser. No. 848,914 Int. Cl. A63h 27/00 US. CI. 46-78 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A toy airplane made of hard paper or cardboard has an elongated tubular body which is open on both ends. The front end is covered by a cap through which a pin extends. The outer end of the pin carries the usual propeller. The inner end of the pin has the shape of a hook over which extends one end of a double rubber band serving as the motor. The opposite end of the rubber band fits over a two-headed rivet which extends through the tubular body adjacent the tail. The tubular body has two aligned slots through which the wings extend. The rear end of the tubular body has aligned slots perpendicular to the wing slots through which the rudder extends. An elevator fits into a slit provided in the rudder and is supported by a plastic clip to prevent it from wobbling. Wheels are carried by a support member having angular portions extending over the top surfaces of the wings to prevent the wheels from shifting.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a toy airplane.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a toy airplane of simple and yet most effective, attractive and sturdy construction.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent in the course of the following specification.

In the accomplishment of the objectives of the present invention it was found desirable to provide an airplane having a body, wings, rudder and tail elevator which are made of hard paper or cardboard. The body consists of a long tube open at both ends. The motor of the airplane consists of a long double rubber band which extends within the tubular body through a major portion thereof. One end of the rubber band fits over a hook constituting the end of a pin extending through a metal cap fitting over the front end of the tubular body. The other end of the pin carries the usual propeller. The other end of the rubber band fits over a two-headed rivet extending through the tubular body close to vertically aligned slots through which the rudder extends. The rudder carries a horizontal elevator which is supported by a plastic clip so as to prevent it from wobbling. Other horizontally aligned slots in the tubular body hold the wings which consist of a single suitably shaped piece. The wheels are attached to the wings by wires which have angular portions extending over top surfaces of the wheels so as to prevent the wheels from shifting or collapsing.

A toy airplane made in this manner is light in weight and yet the rubber band when wound provides a strong and effective motor, so that the toy airplane can fly long distances. The use of a tubular body open at both ends makes it possible to fix the driving parts easily. In general, the toy may be assembled and disassembled in a few minutes, at most. The elongated shape of the rudder carrying the elevator greatly enhances the general appearance of the toy airplane.

The invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, showing, by way of 3,616,567 Patented Nov. 2,, 1971 example only, a preferred embodiment of the inventive idea.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a toy airplane constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view;

FIG. 3 is a front view;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section on a larger scale and with some parts broken off.

The toy airplane shown in the drawing has an elongated tubular body 10 with a front end 11 and a rear open end 12. The body 10 is preferably made of hard paper or cardboard and may be spirally wound. It has two horizontally aligned slots 13 for the wings 15 and two vertically aligned slots 16 and 17 adjacent the rear end 12 which receive the rudder 18.

The drive or motor of the toy airplane consists of a closed rubber band 19 which is located in the body 10. One end of the band 19 fits over a hook 20 constituting an end of a pin 21. The pin 21 extends through a cap 22 preferably made of metal and fitting over the front end 11 of the body 10. The other end of the pin 21 carries a propeller 23 which is firmly fixed thereto. The propeller 23 is of the usual shape and is preferably made of plastic. The other end of the rubber band 19 extends over a two-headed rivet 24 located within the body 10 close to the ends of the slots 16 and 17. The heads of the rivet 24 engage the outer surfaces of the body 10 and firmly hold the rivet 24 in the body 10.

The length of the rubber band 19 is so dimensioned that it will firmly press the cap 22 over the end 11 of the body 10. However, the interior of the body 10 is easily accessible since the cap 22 can be easily pulled away from the body 10 while stretching the band 19.

The wings 15 which extend through the slots 13 consist of a single piece of foam plastic or cardboard and are provided with suitably slanting edges. The wings 15 are held by friction in the slots 13. However, the slots 13 are longer than the wings, so that the location of the wings may be conveniently adjusted.

The rudder 18 also consists of a single piece of foam plastic and has a central portion 25 located inside the tube 10 between the slots 16 and 17, a lower portion 26 having an inclined edge 27' which engages the ground when the airplane rests thereon, as well as an upper portion 28 extending in the shape of a tongue over a major portion of the tube 10. The upper portion 28 has a projection 37 fitting into a slot provided upon the upper surface of the tube 10. The lower portion 26 has a recess 38 adapted to hold firmly a head of the rivet 24. The top of the portion 28 has a slit 29 receiving a horizontally extending plate-shaped elevator 30. A plastic clip 31 supports the elevator 30 and prevents it from wobbling with the rudder at an off angle. The portion 32 of the rudder located above the elevator 30 is preferably provided with curved ends extending on opposite sides beyond the elevator.

The front portion of the toy airplane is supported on the ground by two wheels 33 made preferably of plastic material. Each wheel 33 is carried by an end 34 of a wire .35. The opposed end 36 of the wire 35- is U-shaped and fits over an edge of a wing. As shown in FIG. 2, this end of the wire is angular in shape. Due to this angular shape, the end 34 carrying the wheel 33 will be fixed firmly so that the wheel will not wobble. However, since the wires 3-5 are not fixedly connected to the wings, their location upon the wings can be easily changed.

It is apparent from the above description that the toy airplane of the present invention can be very easily assembled and taken apart. It presents a most attractive appearance, resembling the airplanes of the jet age. The elastic rubber band was found to be a most effective and 3 actually powerful motor. It is wound merely by rotating the propeller by hand. When released, it will make it possible for the toy airplane to fly.

I claim:

1. In a toy airplane having a propeller and wings, an elongated tubular body having a front portion carrying said propeller, a middle portion carrying said wings and an open rear portion, said rear portion having an upper slot and a lower slot extending in alinement with said upper slot, a rudder having the shape of a flat plate extending through said slots and having a lower portion located below said tubular body, an upper portion located above said tubular body and an elongated portion constituting a continuation of said upper portion and extending over the middle portion of said tubular body, said elongated portion having a projection fitting into a slot provided in the middle portion of said tubular body, whereby the rudder is prevented from being reversed during flight.

2. A toy airplane in accordance with claim 1, comprising an elevator having the shape of a flat plate, the upper portion of said rudder having a slot extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of said tubular body and a plastic clip located in the last-mentioned slot, said elevator being mounted in the last-men- 4 tioned slot to extend parallel to the wings and engaging said clip, whereby wobbling is prevented during flight.

3. A toy airplane in accordance with claim 1, wherein the lower portion of said rudder extends beyond said lower slot and has an end piece adapted to engage the lower surface of said middle portion of the tubular body to prevent the rudder from being raised during flight.

4. A toy airplane in accordance with claim 1, having two wheels, a separate wire for each wheel, each wire having a bent end supporting the wheel for rotation and an opposed U-shaped end fitting over an edge of a wing, said U-shaped end having a portion extending over the upper surface of the wing and bent at an acute angle to prevent the wobbling of the wheels.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,972,117 9/1934 Walker 4678 2,253,661 8/1941 Teuschler 4678 3,057,113 10/1962 Baker 46-78 3,174,252 3/1965 Sunray 4678 LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner D. L. WEINHOLD, JR., Assistant Examiner 

